{"id":234604,"date":"2016-07-27T14:38:11","date_gmt":"2016-07-27T14:38:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=234604"},"modified":"2016-07-27T14:38:11","modified_gmt":"2016-07-27T14:38:11","slug":"afenyo-markin-petitions-ec-to-extend-re-registration-period","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2016\/07\/afenyo-markin-petitions-ec-to-extend-re-registration-period\/","title":{"rendered":"Afenyo Markin petitions EC to extend re-registration period"},"content":{"rendered":"
New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for the Efutu Constituency in the Central Region, Alex Afenyo Markin, has petitioned the Electoral Commission (EC), to extend the window of re-registration for NHIS card registrants by 10 days.<\/p>\n
The MP lamented that the exercise in his constituency has been fraught with power and logistical challenges which have prevented the EC from capturing as many names as possible.<\/p>\n
[contextly_sidebar id=”3w2JmhXruJBlkQ8xQb1lVh4OvjzIIs7n”]Addressing the media today [Wednesday], Afenyo Markin confirmed that \u201cthe petition as drafted and signed by my good self at 8 pm yesterday [Tuesday], and the same was delivered this morning [Wednesday] and received by one John Okine at the EC\u2019s office.\u201d<\/p>\n
He explained that his constituency was in a unique position and thousands in his constituency stood the risk of being disenfranchised if the EC did not extend the exercise.<\/p>\n
“…we have an exceptional situation in Winneba having 5,269 [deleted registrants]. It is not to be treated as constituency where they have 300, 100, 500 or even 1,000.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Afenyo Markin also noted that, such turn of events would amount to a breach of the constitutional rights of his constituents.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor instance, yesterday [Tuesday], we had over 500 people there but they could only register 203 because of network challenges and rains. And as at close of work, over 100 people had filled their forms but could not take their pictures.\u201d<\/p>\n
He further expressed the hope that the EC would “respond positively” to his petition.<\/p>\n
More concerns over re-registration\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Alex Afenyo Markin’s petition joins the the growing concerns that a majority of the people\u00a0deleted from the voters’ register, following the\u00a0Supreme Court’s order, would be disenfranchised.<\/p>\n The EC as at yesterday [Tuesday], revealed that only 14,801 persons of the 56,000, whose names were deleted from the voters\u2019 register, have re-registered in the ongoing voters\u2019 register exhibition exercise.<\/p>\n